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Part III: Family Matters

Chapter: Vendetta

Two months later, BPRD Headquarters:

"This investigation is taking too much of our resources, and too much of our time." Manning stated dryly. "I'm assigning Agent Myers, Red and Abe back to their everyday jobs, and I am filing the case for now."

A shocked silence followed Manning's words in the meeting room.

Kat glanced at Myers, sitting across the table, and noticed his burning cheeks.

"And me, Sir?" Kat stated, turning her eyes to Manning, before Myers could speak up. "What are my orders?"

"You, special agent Wagner, will do as you're told and help Abe in the investigation concerning the ghouls of New Orleans."

"What?" Kat was outraged. "That's bullshit! That case is a dead end, and you know it. There hasn't been any new clues on it for months! You just want me off Margot's case, because the truth is that you don't want her found. You hope we never get her back, because you are afraid of her."

Manning went pale, and stood up.

"You don't get to talk to me like that. I am your-."

"- boss? Well, what kind of a boss are you, abandoning one of your agents to an evil Goddess, doing absolutely nothing about it?!"

"We have been working on her case for two months without success, so it is time to accept that she's gone. Besides, Agent Duval might have been BPRD on paper, but that doesn't make her one of 'my agents'. She was one of your freak squad from the day one."

"Stop talking about her like she's dead." Myer's voice interrupted the argument.

He had stood up too, his face pale except for the burning spots on his cheeks. He leaned hard on the table, trying to control the emotion that made his muscles tremble.

"Agent Myers-" began Manning.

"Margot liked you, you know?" Myers breathed through his teeth. "God knows why, but she did. And she respected you, no matter what the others said about you, she always gave you credit, for keeping this place from falling apart. And this is how you repay her? This-" he spread his arms "-this bullshit? She's alive, and she's out there, and it's our fucking job to find her!"

"We haven't had a lead in weeks. It's over."

"The Hell it isn't!" Myers shouted. "It's not over until she's back here and that Goddess is dead."

"I am the director, and I tell you when a case is closed. And you, Agent Myers - if you want to make this a personal vendetta, you're free to do so, but not on our payroll."

"Is that so? Well, fuck you, Manning." Myers' voice was trembling. "Fire me if you will, but I'll never stop looking for my wife!."

But Manning didn't say a thing, he didn't order Myers to give away his badge or his weapon. Kat glanced from Myers to the director, and read the situation just right. Manning knew Myers was too valuable to lose. If Myers went, Red would leave too - and with him Kat and Abe as well. And then, what would BPRD be without it's 'freak squad'?

Even Manning must have known they were invaluable. But then, why didn't he want Margot found? Kat frowned on that distracting thought, and turned her attention back to Myers.

His hands shaking with badly controlled rage, Myers gathered his things, papers and the laptop, without a word turned his back to Manning, and left the room, leaving Kat and a bunch of silent and gloomy agents to continue the meeting.

"Let him go." Manning stated, and took a seat again. "Time move on to the other topics. Agent Kaye, tell me about your report on the vampire attacks in Harlem."

"Yes, Sir." Agent Kaye, a nice looking guy with oriental background, cleared his throat. "But I have something on the -"

Kat gave him a glance that shut him up mid sentence.

"There's a murderous Goddess who requires human sacrifices, roaming free, and she has one of our agents, and you think this is important?" Kat hissed to Manning. "Vampires in Harlem? That's fucking everyday business, and we don't need a goddamn meeting about that."

"Agent Wagner, I will remind you of your place-"

"You can remind me of the fuck you want, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm right."

She opened the file she had been holding, and threw it on the table, pulling out a set of photographs and spreading them for all to see.

"Three dead in Berlin." she stated, pointing to the photos. "All cut open like fish, their hearts missing. And then another three in Tokyo. The same thing, missing hearts and spilled guts. And then Buenos Aires, and after that Kairo. Do I need to go on?" She paused for a moment, pointing her finger at the photos, staring at Manning until he had to look down. "This is her doing, it has to be. All victims are beautiful young men - just like Myers, who was picked out to be the first sacrifice - and they have all been brutally sliced up, cut open with an obsidian knife."

"Speculation." Manning muttered, shaking his head. "Kairo? Buenos Aires? Look at the distance between those places, and these things happened not even a day apart. No one could move that fast, not even using a jet. These incidents might not be connected at all."

"Bullshit." Kat hissed. "She's a Goddess, for fucks sake, she doesn't need to take a plane. Even I could get around that fast if I wanted to."

"Nonetheless. The events of other continents are not our concern."

"Since when?" Kat snapped. "Is this some new policy, I haven't been informed on?"

"Agent Wagner." Manning stated, standing up again. "You are dismissed."

"But-"

"Get out of the room, now."

"Go fuck yourself." Kat stated on a venomous tone, and gathered her things.

But Manning didn't answer anymore, just waited for Kat to get out, to go on with his meeting.

When Kat exited the room, Myers was nowhere to be seen, which made her frown. She was still a bit shaken by the fact that Myers, of all people, had openly opposed Manning. It just wasn't like him - he was the 'good soldier', always playing by the books, but now..? Truth be told, something about John had scared Kat lately. Yeah, she'd seen him face some bad shit before, but this was unlike anything they had ever experienced, and it had brought out a different side of Myers.

He didn't sleep, he hardly ate, and you never saw him doing anything but work. And the only work he did, was Margot's case. Relentlessly, buried in books, photographs, and security tape footages from all around the world, he kept on searching, and Kat knew he had meant what he'd said to Manning. That he would never stop looking for Margot.

And neither would she. They had to find her, that was the only acceptable option, no matter what Manning said.

Kat went to Myers' rooms were she knew she'd find him, in his bedroom/office where he now spent most of his time. She didn't bother to knock, but simply teleported inside, giving Myers a Hell of a scare.

"Shit, Kat, don't you ever knock?" he spat out. "One day I'll end up shooting you!"

Kat didn't answer, but just walked to him, her blue tail making large circles in the air behind her. She leaned closer to take a look of the papers he had spread out on the table.

"What you doing?" she asked. "Any new leads?"

"What are you doing?" Myers asked. "Didn't you hear what Manning said? You have your orders."

"So do you, but are you gonna follow them?"

"You know I can't."

"Then you know neither can I. We're in this together, and Manning can go fuck himself for all I care. He can fire us all, if he want's to, but I'm not gonna leave my best friend to that bitch of a Goddess."

Myers was silent for a short moment.

"And Red?"

"You know where he stands." Kat stated. "And Abe too. And maybe it's for the best that Manning thinks the case is closed. From now on we won't have to go through him, we can take this into our own hands."

"Our personal vendetta." Myers muttered. "To bring her home."

"Hell, yes." Kat gave a dark grin. "Margot killed that bitch for me once. I think it's time I repay the favor."

"Yeah." Myers sighed, and rubbed his forehead. "But to do that, we first have to find them. You know…"

"What?"

"Lately… I have began to think, that perhaps Manning is right."

"About closing this case?! That's insane!"

"No, about Margot… being dead." It was clear that it took a lot of effort for him to say those words. "I mean, we have all these leads, all these photo's of the victims and some of that bitch Connelly too, but none of Margot. Maybe that's because... the Goddess has killed her."

Kat wanted to hit Myers, to shout out loud, to throw him to the wall, but she resisted the urge. He seemed so broken, so shattered, that she could not make herself even to snap at him. In his eyes she saw all the despair she felt in her heart, and it got to her like an arrow, that pierced through her soul.

"She's not dead, you hear me? Don't you dare to say that. If she was, I would've felt it. You would have felt it."

Myers looked up to her, his beautiful, blue eyes tired and hopeless.

"You sure about that?" he breathed.

"I'm sure." Kat replied. She had to, for if she let herself doubt, even for a one moment, she knew there would be no end to it. "We'll find her, alive, and we'll bring her home. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Myers rubbed his tired eyes, his voice strained and stretched. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"You look like Hell. Have you eaten anything?"

He shook his head.

"Damn, Myers!" Kat cursed, and walked out of the bedroom, towards the kitchen. "How on Earth you think you can work, if you don't eat? Margot would kick your ass for this."

Myers followed her into the kitchen, resigned, knowing well enough that it did no good to argue Kat.

She opened the fridge, just to notice that there was hardly anything in it. So, Myers hadn't been grocery shopping either.

"We're going for a pizza." Kat said, closing the fridge. "And no 'but's'. I won't work with you, when you're hungry and desperate. I need you sharp on this mission, not some-"

"-idiot who can't keep his shit together?" Myers asked.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Just something Margot said to me once." Myers shrugged, a haunted look in his eyes. "You see how it is with me now? I can't… I can't form a sentence without her name in it. If we don't find her, I don't know-"

"We've been through this already. We'll find her." Kat snapped. "Now shut up and take your coat, we're going to eat."

But just then there was a knock on the door, which made Kat glance at Myers.

"Expecting someone?" she asked, and Myers shook his head.

Kat, who was closer to the door, opened it.

"A bad moment?" asked Agent Kaye.

He was a nice man, and even if Kat wouldn't have called him a friend, she knew he was trustworthy and a good hearted fellow. One of those men, you knew would always get your back.

"No, it's fine." Myers replied, and Kat stepped aside to let Kaye enter.

"How you holding up?" Kaye asked, turning the gaze of his dark, almond shaped eyes to Myers, who quite frankly, looked like Hell. Even his sharp business suit and shaved face couldn't hide the fact that he was dying inside. His face was pale, his eyes red rimmed and there were dark circles under them, and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks - which probably was the case.

But Myers just shrugged, and looked down.

"You came to tell me, Manning's decided to fire me?" he asked.

Kaye made a small snort. "I'm not his lapdog. But no, he's not firing any of you guys. Not to my knowledge."

"So, what is it?"

"This." Kaye said, and offered Myers a file. "I have some new intel on the case. I was gonna show it to Manning on the meeting, but if he doesn't want to hear about this anymore…"

"You're giving it to me? Behind his back?"

"He said the case is closed." Kaye shrugged. "It's my business what I do with this."

Myers took the file, his hand slightly shaking.

"Thank you, Kaye."

"Yeah, you know, I'm a married man too." he said. No more words were needed, Both Myers and Kat got his meaning.

"Thank you, really." said Myers. "So… you with us?"

"Every guy here is. You know that."

"I… I can't drag you into this. It's not fair. The rest of you should just do as you're told."

"Nonesense." Kaye replied. "Whatever Manning says, Margot is one of us. We ain't gonna leave her. When you need me, just give me a call."

Myers didn't reply, but hesitating only a short moment, he took the hand Kaye offered, and they shook on it. Silently Kat observed, waiting for the other agent to leave. It wasn't until Kaye had closed the door behind him, that Kat opened the file he had brought, and took out a pile of photographs.

On top of the pile was a black and white still from a security camera footage, a view from a street, with two women walking in a crowd.

"That's her." Myers voice sounded hoarse. "That's-"

"Yeah, it is." Kat replied. "I told you she was alive."

It most definitely was Margot, even if she looked very different. She was walking on a street, wearing a short dress that clung to her curves, a lot of jewelry and super high heels. Her hair seemed to have grown a lot, more than it should've been possible in a few months, and it fell to her back, reaching her hips.

And by her side, Beatrix Connelly.

Just the sight of her face made Kat feel sick. She felt the acidic taste of rage on her lips, and it burnt on her bloodstream.

Though, based on what Abe had shown them, touching Margot's ring, this creature who wore Connelly's face was in fact an immortal Goddess, who had stolen Botox' body and somehow repaired the damage Margot's bullets had done to it.

Nevertheless, she was definitely a bitch that needed to be put down, and Kat could hardly wait to do that.

"It doesn't look like she's holding Margot by force." Myers noted.

"Come on, it doesn't mean anything. She probably has her brainwashed."

"Then how are we going to get her away from that bitch?"

"We need a plan." Kat said. "A good one, and preferably sooner than later."

"This is Mexico City, yesterday." Myers said on a low voice, taking a closer look of the photograph. "The Goddess has gone home."

"Uhhuh." Kat agreed. "We should've stayed there and waited."

Myers didn't reply, but Kat knew he agreed.

They had went to Mexico City, a month ago, after running around the globe in vain, in search of the Goddess (it was a handy thing, that Kat had gotten a lot better at teleporting lately, with some help and advice from her brothers, and could get them practically anywhere in a heartbeat), but Manning had ordered them back home after a week. And it was true, that they had found nothing on their trip - the Goddess had not been there yet, nor Margot. But now they were, and that meant one thing only.

Myers turned to look at Kat, piling up the papers and the photos.

"Take me there, now." he ordered.

Kat gave him a halfhearted smile.

"So, no pizza tonight, but enchiladas? Suits me, Boss."

"Don't call me Boss."

"But you are, on this mission. It sure as Hell isn't Manning."

Myers gave an exasperated sigh. "Will you ever stop talking, and teleport?"

"Mexico City is a big place. Where to?"

"The same hotel as last time."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Myers was about to argue, about the use of the word 'Boss', but Kat had already taken his hand and in a loud 'bamf' they disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.